Press release
On March 12, 2026, the Ministry of Health relaunched the national campaign “RECOGNIZE, ACT, TIME MATTERS!”, dedicated to the prevention and early recognition of stroke. The event took place at the Ungheni District Hospital, together with the inauguration of the Ungheni Primary Stroke Center, which will serve the population of the Ungheni, Calarasi and Nisporeni districts.
According to specialists, every hour a Moldovan suffers a stroke, and medical intervention within the first 4.5 hours—the therapeutic window—can save the patient’s life and reduce the risk of disability. The campaign, now in its third edition, aims to raise public awareness about how to quickly recognize the signs of a stroke and immediately call the emergency service 112.
The Minister of Health, Emil Ceban, stated that investments in medical infrastructure must be accompanied by informing the population:
“The relaunch of this campaign is an investment in people’s health and safety. In recent years, a functional network of stroke treatment centers has been built, but for these services to save lives, it is essential that people recognize the signs and get to the hospital in time. Every minute counts”.
The new Ungheni Primary Stroke Center is part of the national network of centers for the treatment of stroke. The institution is equipped with an emergency unit, connected to the telemedicine system, a state-of-the-art computed tomography scanner and a neurology and stroke department with 32 beds, four of which are for intensive care.
The program’s international partners emphasize that these advances are the result of collaboration between national institutions and development partners. The Deputy Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office in the Republic of Moldova, Viorica Cretu, noted that:
“Switzerland supports the strengthening of stroke patient care services in the Republic of Moldova, and through the national information campaign launched today, we encourage everyone to recognize the signs of a stroke and to act quickly by calling the phone number 112. In the event of a stroke, timely medical assistance can save a life”.
Specialists point out that facial asymmetry, slurred speech, or sudden falling or weakness of an arm or leg can be signs of a stroke. In such situations, immediately calling 112 is essential so that the patient can quickly reach the hospital and receive treatment.
We note that since 2023, the Republic of Moldova has developed a national network of stroke treatment centers, consisting of 11 primary centers, one multidisciplinary and one comprehensive. As a result of the development of this network and public information campaigns, the proportion of patients arriving at the hospital within the therapeutic window increased to 36% in 2025, compared to 25.5% in 2024.
The campaign is implemented by the Ministry of Health and the National Agency for Public Health, with the support of the Moldovan-Swiss Project “Healthy Living: Reducing the Burden of Noncommunicable Diseases”, implemented by the Swiss Institute of Public Health and Tropical Diseases (Swiss TPH) and funded by the Swiss Government through the Swiss Cooperation Office in the Republic of Moldova. Switzerland is one of the largest donors to the health system in the Republic of Moldova.
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